Monday, August 18, 2008

A Twenty Something Girl in a Thirty Somethings World


Chicago is a place full of twenty somethings chasing their dreams and thirty somethings that have achieve professional success and have entered into marriage and motherhood.

So this leaves me wondering where do I fit in?? At 27 I am still working to meet my career goals. I completed graduate school at 25 and was married soon after. I then became pregnant with my daughter during my first year as a full-time working professional. I find myself somewhere in between the twenty somethings chasing their dreams and the thirty somethings that are married with children.

It is a challenge to fit in completely with both groups of friends. My twenty somethings friends are out living the single life. They are dealing with the drama in their work and personal life that revolves around dating and gossip. My thirty something friends are dealing with the drama in their life that revolves around daycare, the color of their babies poop, temper tantrums, and marriage.

I often find myself indulging in the excitement of the dating/nightlife my twenty something friends have. I enjoy hearing the stories of the awkward first night with a new guy, the concerns about whether or not he is into her, and then the drama of how the relationship ends. I love going out with the twenty something friends when I need a reminder of who I used to be. They keep me young and hip and in the loop with whats going on in the world of a single girl.
And when I need a break and to tune into reality I find myself turning to my thirty something friends who help to keep me grounded. We chat about parenting and marriage and how to be successful at both.

You see you can't vent about marriage to your single twenty something friends because they will always respond with "at least you have someone." And you can't vent about needed a night out on the town to your fellow mommies because they will always say "who will babysit, what about your husband, is it worth feeling so bad when your baby wakes you up early after a long night out?" So I keep myself in with both crowds and vent to the appropriate group. I find the best thing you can do is chat about whats going on in your life with the friends who can relate regardless of where they are in our life. The best girlfriend to vent to is the one who understands and can agree with you.

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